Car roof



June 19, 1928.

1,674,089 c. D. BONSALL CAR ROOF Filed w Be 24 n: /A/V6/VTOB2 Patented June 19, 1928.

CHARLES DAVID BONSALL, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO I. H.

PENNSYLVANIA.

r-nnnsxnvenm, A CORPORATION on GAR ROOF.

Application filed December 13, 1926. Serial No. 154,430.

This invention relates to flexible car roofs wherein metal roof sheets are loosely secured to the car and to each other by seam covers that permit relative movement of the sheets to a limited extent so as to be able to accommodate themselves to the distortions of the car body.

The 'principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple andeflicient arrangement that will secure a pivotal movement of the roof sheets about points located near their centers Whenever there is movement of the sheets. Other objects are cheap ness of construction, tewness of parts and compactness otdesign.

Tie invention consists principally in the shape and arrangement of the cooperating portions of the seam cover and adjacent roof sheets; and it also consists in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur, I i

Fig. 1 is a planview of a portion of a car roof embodying my invention, portions being shown broken away to more clearly ilv covers and the said seam flanges belng norlustrate the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse section through one-half of the roof on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. Sis a vertical oross-section through one of the seams at the ridge on the line 3-3 in'Fi'g. 2;

F'g. 4 is a similar section on the line &4 of Fig. 2; and

I Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the ridge portion of one of the seam covers and 40' the portions of the roof sheets cooperating therewith.

The present roof comprises Z-bar side plates 6 that are connected by carlines 7 of substantially inverted channel-shaped section with outwardly projecting lateral'base flanges 8 at the bottoms of their side walls. The Z-bar side plates 6 are preferably arranged with their webs vertical and with their top flanges extending inwardly hori: zontally; and the eaves end portions of the carlines'rest flatwise on the inwardly projecting top flanges of said side plates and have their lateral base flanges rigidly secured thereto by rivets 9.

Metal roof sheets 10 extend from side to side of the car and are supported at their eaves ends on wooden filler strips 11, which extend'from carline to carline and rest on and are rigidly secured to the top flanges of the side plates 6 by bolts 12. The-roof sheets 10 are provided at their eaves ends with depending flanges 13, which overhang the webs of the side plates and are spaced away from the webs of theside plates. The roof sheets are supported between side plates 6 by a ridge pole l4 and purlins 15 which extend longitudinally of the car beneath the carlines 7 and are bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the lateral base flanges 8 thereof. As shown in the drawing, the roof sheets are provided with upwardly oflset side marginal portions 16' that are inclined upwardly and terminate in upstanding side marginal flanges 17 that extend from end to end of the sheets.

Weatherprooflng members in the form of inverted channel-shaped seam covers A straddle the carlines 7 and the upstanding side marginal seam flanges 17 of adjacent roof sheets, the side walls of said seam mally spaced apart except for a short dis' tance at the ridge. The webs of channelshaped seam covers A bear flatwise against .the'web's ofthe channel-shaped carlines 7 and are riveted orotherwiserigidly secured thereto at points adjacent to the ridge and eaves by rivets 18. The channel-shaped seam covers are provided along their lower edges with outwardly projecting lateral base flanges 19 that conform to the slope of the upwardly oflset side marginal portions 16 of the roof sheets and are arranged to rest or bear flatwise on said portions, thereby holding the sheets down on the car. The eaves end portions of the seam covers A are provided with depending eaves flanges 20, which overlap the open ends of the carline's and the eaves corners of adjacent sheets and are spaced away from the depending eaves flanges 13 of the roof sheets.

As shown in thedrawing, the seam covers are preferably made in three sections: namely, duplicate end members or sections 91,

which extend from eaves to points adjacent to the ridge, and a single intermediate ridge section or connector 22, which overlaps the spaced ridge end portions of the two end sections 21 for a suitable distance on each side of the ridge. The ridge section 22 of each seam cover is preferably pressed outwardly adjacent to each end, as at 23, in directions crosswise thereof to provide space between the overlapped portions of the ridge and end sections for strips 24: of tar paper or other suitable material, which dipped in paint before application. This arrangement provides a water-tight joint between the overlapping endsof the seam cover sections that is well adapted to pre vent the emptying of water into the car. It is noted that by reason of the seam covers or carl'ine' caps being made in three sections, said covers are applicable to cars of difi'erent widths.

Running boards 25 extend longitudinally of the car at the ridge and are supported on the lateral top flanges of Z-bar running board saddles 26, whose lateral base flanges rest onthe ridge portions of the seam covers and are rigidly secured in position by the rivets 18 that secure the ridge portion of sald seam covers to the carli'nes.

The ridge portions of the upstanding side marginal seam flanges 17 ot' the roof sheets are bowed or bent outwardly lengthwise of said flanges for a short distance on each side of the ridge to form concave depressions or sockets 27' in the inner faces of said side seam flanges midway of their length and the side walls of the ridge sections 22 of the threepiece seam covers A are longitudinally curved or bowed inwardly towards each other midway of their length to form oppo si'tely disposed convex projections 28 on the inner surfaces of the ridge portions of the side walls of said seam covers. The convex projections 28 on the inner faces of the side walls o-f-j the seamcovers A fit within the concave recesses or sockets 2.7 provided therefor in, the inner surfaces of the side seam flanges 17 of the root sheets. The cooperating surfaces of the concave sockets 27 in the roof sheet flanges and the convex projections 28 in the inner faces of the side walls of the seam, covers have substantially the same radius of curvature and are curved in circular arcs describedfrom the centersot the sheets.

By the arrangement described, the socket joints or connections between the side seam flanges of the roof sheets and the side walls of the weather proofing seam covers there-- without departing from my invention; therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown and described.

What I claim is: 1. A flexible car roof comprising roof sheets spaced apart along their adjacent margins,

members secured to the car and connecting the adjacent margins of said sheets, means on each sheet permitting said sheet to rotate substantially on its center and means on the adjacent connecting members engaging the rotating sheets.

A flexible car roof comprising root sheets spaced apart along their adjacent margins, means on each sheet permitting said sheet to rotate about a point located intermediate its margins and means on the car adjacent to and engaging the ad acent margins of the rotating sheets.

o. A flexible car root comprising root sheets spaced apart along their adjacent side margins, members secured to the car and cooperating with the adjacent margins of said sheets, means on each sheet permitting said sheet to rotate about a point located intermediate its side margins and means on the adjacent members secured to the car engaging the rotating sheets.

l. A flexible car roof comprising rooi sheets spaced apart al'ongtheir side margins, seam covers covering the adjacent margins of said sheets, and socket connections between said seam covers and the marginal portions of the sheets covered by said seam covers, whereby said sheets are allowed to pivot about points located midway of said margins.

A flexible car roof comprising roof sheets spaced apart along their side margins, seam covers covering the adjacent margins of said sheets, and socket connections be tween said seam covers and the margina'l portions ofthe sheets covered by said seam covers, whereby said sheets are allowed to pivot about points located midway of said margins, said connections including means for preventing bodily movement of the sheets both longitudinally and transversely of the car.

6. A flexible car roof comprising roof sheets spaced apart along their adjacent margins which are provided with upstanding flanges and seam covers connecting adjacent marginal flanges of said sheets, means on eachsheet permitting said sheet "to rotate,- substantially on its center and means on the adjacent seam covers engaging the rotating sheets and preventing bodily movement thereof.

7. A flexible car roof comprising roof sheets spaced apart along their adjacent margins which are provided with upstanding flanges and seam covers straddling adjacent marginal flanges of said sheets, means on each sheet permitting said sheet to rotate about a point located substantially midway of the marginal flanges of each sheet and means on adjacent seam covers engaging the rotating sheet.

8. A flexible car roof comprising roof sheets spaced apart along their adjacent margins and having upstanding seam flanges along said margins, and seam covers straddling adjacent marginal flanges, adjacent sheet flanges and the seam covers cooperating therewith being formed with interfltting longitudinally bowed portions that are curved in circular arcs described from points located midway of the sheet flanges of each sheet.

9. A flexible car roof comprising roof sheets spaced apart along their adjacent margins and having upstanding seam flanges along said margins, and seam covers straddling adjacent marginal flanges, adjacent sheet flanges and the seam covers cooperating therewith being formed with interfltting longitudinally bowed portions that are curved in circular arcs described from the centers of said sheets.

10. A flexible car roof comprising roof sheets extending from eaves to eaves of the car, said roof sheets being spaced apart along their adjacent side margins, and having upstanding seam flanges along said margins and seam covers secured to the car and straddling the seam flanges of adjacent sheets said seam flanges and said seam covers being provided for a portion of their length with longitudinally curved portions that cooperate with each other to secure a pivotal movement of said sheets about points located substantially midway of their side marginal flanges.

11. A flexible car roof comprising roof sheets extending from eaves to eaves of the car, said roof sheets being spaced apart along their adjacent side margins, and seam covers secured to the cars and straddling the seam flanges of adjacent sheets said seam flanges and said seam covers being provided at the ridge with longitudinally curved portions that cooperate with each other to secure a pivotal movement of said sheets about points located near their centers.

12. A flexible car roof comprising roof sheets extending from eaves to eaves of the car, said roof sheets being spaced apart along their side margins and having upstanding seam flanges along said margins, and seam covers straddling the spaced side marginal flanges of adjacent sheets, the inner surfaces of said sheet flanges being provided at the ridge with longitudinally curved recesses, and the inner surfaces of the side walls of said seam covers being provided at the ridge with longitudinally curved projections that fit within the recesses in said sheet flanges, the recessed portions of said sheets and the projections of said seam covers being curved in circular arcs described from the centers of said sheets, whereby said sheets are adapted for pivotal movement about points located at their centers.

13. A car root sheet having upstanding flanges along opposite margins that are bowed outwardly for a portion of their length.

14. A car roof sheet having upstanding seam flanges along opposite margins that are bowed outwardly midway of their length.

Signed at New Kensington, Pennsylvania, this 4th day of December, 1926.

CHARLES DAVID BONSALL. 

